Third baseman Maikel [pronounced "my-kell"] Franco hit his first MLB HR Sunday and added a triple to power the Phillies to a 6-0 win and a weekend sweep of Arizona at Citizens Bank Park in Philly.
Franco is the first of what many believe will be a host of minor league players who will be promoted to major league roles with the Phillies throughout this rebuilding season. Those faces will likely include J.P. Crawford, Roman Quinn and 21 year-old starting pitcher sensation Aaron Nola, currently tearing through the minors at 5-2 with a 1.77 ERA.
Franco, 22, has been approximately five years younger than the average player at each level he has competed at, from single A to MLB. He has shown no fear, no loss of nerve or ability. This weekend was no different.
Despite much hype, including manager Ruben Amaro Jr. stating that if nothing else Franco would be a huge upgrade in defense at 3B over Cody Asche (who was demoted to learn LF and make way for Franco last week), Franco looked comfortable on the field and at the plate.
Franco brings a much needed dose of hope to Phillies fans buried in the despair of a rebuilding effort that has taken a dramatic downward turn from the winning baseball they had only recently become accustomed to.
Franco brings a much needed dose of hope to Phillies fans buried in the despair of a rebuilding effort that has taken a dramatic downward turn from the winning baseball they had only recently become accustomed to.
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| Phenom Aaron Nola could be the next great Phils pitcher. |
After the game, De Fratus made an even bolder prediction:
"He's gonna hit 30 home runs and 120 RBI," De Fratus said. "I called the home run. He's going to take us to the playoffs."
The Phillies, who have MLB's worst road record at 4-13 are now winners, at 12-10, at home. While they are hardly considered or considering themselves contenders, they happen to be just 6 1/2 games back at this early juncture.
In the 6th inning Sunday, Franco tripled to put the Phillies up 3-0. After the game, Franco called it his best swing of the day. In the broadcast booth, Mike Schmidt commented on Franco's triple, which he estimated traveled 405 feet in right field, 4 feet shy of a HR, that "in a lot of places, that's plenty out of the park."
Then, in his next at-bat leading off the 8th inning and Randall Delgado pitching for Arizona, Franco went deep to left center field, 367 feet and over the fence. The Phillies led 5-0 en route to a 6-0 romp behind a strong outing by Sean O'Sullivan (who got his first win in 4 years) and 3 relievers who combined for the shutout.
But the real story was Franco. In a recent interview after a minor league game, he said: “Every time I come in, I just try to be a clown a little bit and enjoy the moment. I love to play baseball.” His relaxed confidence is reminiscent of Jimmy Rollins, who was also a homegrown player who debuted with the Phils in 2000 and led them to a World Series title and 5 consecutive division titles with his self-proclaimed swagger.
The Phils have now won 5-straight games for the first time in almost a year. They will go for their 6th straight in Colorado Monday behind Cole Hamels, who has won two straight games with an ERA of 1.29 over those games.
The Phillies, who have MLB's worst road record at 4-13 are now winners, at 12-10, at home. While they are hardly considered or considering themselves contenders, they happen to be just 6 1/2 games back at this early juncture.
In the 6th inning Sunday, Franco tripled to put the Phillies up 3-0. After the game, Franco called it his best swing of the day. In the broadcast booth, Mike Schmidt commented on Franco's triple, which he estimated traveled 405 feet in right field, 4 feet shy of a HR, that "in a lot of places, that's plenty out of the park."
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| Franco greeted by teammates after 1st career HR. |
Then, in his next at-bat leading off the 8th inning and Randall Delgado pitching for Arizona, Franco went deep to left center field, 367 feet and over the fence. The Phillies led 5-0 en route to a 6-0 romp behind a strong outing by Sean O'Sullivan (who got his first win in 4 years) and 3 relievers who combined for the shutout.
But the real story was Franco. In a recent interview after a minor league game, he said: “Every time I come in, I just try to be a clown a little bit and enjoy the moment. I love to play baseball.” His relaxed confidence is reminiscent of Jimmy Rollins, who was also a homegrown player who debuted with the Phils in 2000 and led them to a World Series title and 5 consecutive division titles with his self-proclaimed swagger.
The Phils have now won 5-straight games for the first time in almost a year. They will go for their 6th straight in Colorado Monday behind Cole Hamels, who has won two straight games with an ERA of 1.29 over those games.
Franco was appropriately modest during his post-game interview, during which he was struck with the traditional shaving cream by veteran catcher Carlos Ruiz. "My team is playing very good right now. I came in at a good moment," Franco said. "I'm happy for that and I just want to continue to prove myself and help my team."Fans can happily anticipate more of this image (Franco lathered in shaving cream) for years to come, as well as Franco's lightness, power and rock solid glove work, all a breath of fresh air and on display at Citizens Bank Park this weekend.
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